EL PASO, Texas (Interstat) — Two teams jockeying for position in the Conference USA standings will meet Thursday when the UTEP Miners host the Jacksonville State Gamecocks in a women’s basketball matchup. The game, scheduled for Feb. 26, 2026, at the Don Haskins Center, features teams with nearly identical records. Jacksonville State enters at 13-14 overall, while UTEP sits at 12-13. Both are seeking a winning streak to improve their seeding ahead of the conference tournament. Jacksonville State earned a narrow 69-68 victory over Sam Houston last Saturday, powered by a dominant performance from forward Brooklyn McDaniel. The player to watch scored 21 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in 36 minutes. Her production has been volatile, however, following that outing with a 2-point game against Louisiana Tech and a 21-point, 13-rebound double-double in her most recent contest. UTEP is coming off a 69-58 road win at New Mexico State, where forward Ndack Mbengue posted a double-double with 13 points and 14 rebounds. Mbengue has been a consistent interior force for the Miners, recording double-doubles in two of her last four games where she saw significant minutes. The teams met just over a month ago in Jacksonville, with the Gamecocks securing a 73-60 home victory. UTEP will look to defend its home court and avenge that loss. The matchup hinges on the interior battle between McDaniel and Mbengue. Jacksonville State will rely on McDaniel’s scoring and rebounding, while UTEP will counter with Mbengue’s presence in the paint and the backcourt play of Delma Zita, who added 14 points and six assists in the win over New Mexico State. With both teams clustered in the middle of the Conference USA standings, Thursday’s result will provide crucial momentum for the final stretch of the regular season. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. local time.